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Mark
VM Coach
Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Portland, OR
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 Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:57 am Post subject: Re: "No Sense" Notes? |
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| nylenny wrote: | | Every so often Wes plays a note that makes no sense to me (like flat-sevenths over major 7 chords (not in a bebop scale setting), or major thirds over minor 7th chords). From my transcriptions, I've found that he does this at most once in a chorus. Ironically, those notes are often the most beautiful and interesting in the chorus. |
Len,
In reviewing the above comment and your previous post, that in a nutshell sums up the value of the language approach. While it's acceptable to use scales as a VERY general reference point, great melodies and licks teach us that there are no wrong notes if they reside in a context that appeals to the ear, regardless of rules. There are no bad notes, only bad "connections"  .
Like one of my main mentors, George Benson (a disciple of Wes), I often use b7's over maj7th chords, either as passing tones or to purposely add a dominant blues edge to a solo. If I was a scale-based player I would never have done that, but the language taught me otherwise. And I'm sure you're well aware that the major 3rd in bebop is one of the most critically important passing tones between the 4th and the minor 3rd in a minor 7th chord context. We're talking the F#/Gb between the G and F over a Dm7, yet another example where if a player thinks dorian he/she misses that note altogether, unless they know the language based on observing jazz improvisers and their solos.
There are many less conventional examples that defy classroom theory, which only serves to underline the importance of the ear and learning to speak the language through imitation, not some pre-determined set of rules. All for now...
- Mark
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"Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple" - Mingus |
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